How God Wants You To Live

This week has been one of much packing, as will be the next week as well, and with it has come an important realization about life and our things.

I don’t know if you have gone through a big move to another city or house, but if you have you know what I’m talking about.

As you begin to place objects, pots, pans, clothes and other things into boxes and containers for the move, you begin to realize that you have many things that you didn’t even know you had.

Clothes that have been folded or hung for a long time without being touched. Plates and pots that have been tucked away in the corner of a drawer or cabinet, that have only collected dust. Books that you opened once and have not seen since that day.

But even when looking at these “never before seen (used) things” it is very hard to bring yourself to let them go. Even though you realize that they are not essential for your daily life, we rationalize that we still need them in our homes.

I wonder how many of us are housing unneeded things in the corners of our minds and hearts. Things that we desire to keep with us for some reason, even though we realize - when we find them - that we don’t need them anymore.

Things like bad memories - moments where we have been hurt that motivate us to not trust or open ourselves up again.

Things like our failures - where we attempted to do, say, or show something and failed and instead of motivating us, this has crippled us.

Things like unhealthy habits - that we know are causing us harm but we are just so accustomed to doing it and it feels good, in the moment.

Things like fear - that disabling feeling that paralyzes us from doing what we know we ought.

Things like guilt - that drive us further from God and others.

Some of us may have some skeletons in our closets but the good news is that we do not need to continue to live with these unnecessary things. We can be freed from the clutter and mess that hides in the closets of our minds and hearts.

God wants to free you from your bad memories and help you learn from them but not be controlled by them. God wants to bring victories where you have experienced failure, learning from your failure and moving ahead with God. God desires to instill good habits that lead to a healthy lifestyle and better overall emotional and physical health. God desires to free you from fear and guilt, and give you confidence and assurance that you are loved by Him.

God promises to give us the Holy Spirit who knows us intimately and searches our hearts ( 1 Cor 2:10). He is able to work in us and help us cleanse our hearts and free us from the things we’ve struggled to let go.

God promises to give us life, and life more abundantly (John 10:10). A life of freedom and peace that nothing else can bring (John 14:27).

May we be able to part with the things that we have but don’t need, and with Gods help we can do it.

May our prayer be that of Psalm 139:23-24 -

“God, examine me and know my mind. Test me and know all my worries. Make sure that I am not going the wrong way. Lead me on the path that has always been right.”

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Sebastian Lopez has been involved with Enspire Productions since 2010. He is pastoring in Palm Coast, Florida.